Chapter 388

Chapter 388


The way Cole had looked at her wrist would not stop replaying in Lina's mind.

She sat through her afternoon classes barely absorbing a single word the teacher said, her thoughts stuck on the memory of his careful hands, the concern etched so deeply across his face over something as minor as a small bruise. Nobody reacted like that. Her brothers usually just told her to be more careful and moved on. Her parents rarely noticed minor training injuries at all given how common they were within their family.

But Cole had held her hand like it mattered, examined her wrist like the world would end if he missed something serious, refused to let go until he was completely satisfied she was truly okay.

She told herself repeatedly throughout the day that he was simply being overprotective, annoying in his constant need to control every situation surrounding her safety. That explanation should have been enough. It usually was whenever she tried rationalizing his behavior.

Except this time, the excuse felt increasingly hollow no matter how many times she repeated it internally.

By the time classes ended, she was still lost in thought, walking toward her locker with a small, unconscious smile tugging at her lips as she replayed the memory yet again.

"Okay, what is going on with you?"

Lina blinked, startled out of her thoughts by her friend Maya suddenly appearing beside her, eyebrows raised with obvious curiosity.

"Nothing is going on."

"You have been smiling at absolutely nothing for the past five minutes. Even during Mr. Patterson's incredibly boring lecture about territorial trade agreements, you looked like you were thinking about something wonderful."

"I was just tired. Sometimes I space out."

"Uh huh." Maya crossed her arms, clearly not buying the explanation. "This spacing out happened to look suspiciously happy though. Almost like you were thinking about someone specific."

"I was not thinking about anyone."

"Was it Cole?"

The immediate flush that crept up Lina's neck answered the question far more effectively than any verbal denial could have.

"Oh my goodness, it was him!" Maya's eyes widened with delighted shock. "You actually like him! The scary alpha everyone is terrified of, and you are sitting here daydreaming about him during class!"

"I am not daydreaming about anyone! And I do not like him. He is annoying and possessive and constantly makes my life difficult."

"Your face is completely red right now."

"That is because you keep saying ridiculous things!"

"Ridiculous things that happen to be true, apparently." Maya's grin widened further, clearly enjoying Lina's escalating embarrassment far too much. "Come on, tell me everything. When did this happen? How did the terrifying alpha manage to make the untouchable Lina blush like a schoolgirl?"

"There is nothing to tell because there is nothing happening between us."

"Then why are you blushing this hard right now?"

"Because you are embarrassing me with these ridiculous accusations!"

Maya laughed, clearly not remotely convinced by Lina's frantic denials. "Fine, keep pretending if you want. But I have watched you interact with him during lunch a few times now, and trust me, that is not how someone looks at a person they simply tolerate."

Lina's face burned hotter, unable to formulate any response that did not sound even more suspicious than remaining silent. Eventually she gave up entirely, grabbing her bag and mumbling something about needing to leave before hurrying away from Maya's amused expression.

She needed space to think, somewhere quiet where she could process her confusing emotions without additional teasing complicating everything further. The training area behind the school seemed like the perfect escape, usually empty this late in the afternoon, offering privacy to work through her frustration physically instead of mentally.

She had barely started stretching when Cole appeared, walking toward her with that familiar confident stride that somehow managed to be both irritating and undeniably attractive simultaneously.

"You look frustrated," he observed, studying her expression carefully.

"I am fine."

"You are terrible at lying."

"Maybe I just do not feel like discussing my feelings right now."

"Fair enough." He rolled his shoulders, settling into a ready stance. "Want to spar instead? Might help clear your mind."

She hesitated only briefly before nodding, grateful for the distraction physical exertion would provide. "Fine. But do not go easy on me."

"I never do."

They began the familiar exchange of attacks and defenses, but tonight something felt different, more intense than their usual sessions. Lina channeled all her lingering embarrassment and confusion into every movement, determined to prove her improving skills rather than dwelling on complicated emotions she was not ready to fully examine.

Her strikes came faster, sharper than usual, forcing Cole to abandon his typical restraint and actually engage seriously against her increasing aggression. She managed to land two solid hits that genuinely surprised him, his eyebrows raising slightly each time her attacks connected successfully.

"You have definitely improved," he admitted, blocking another strike before countering with his own.

"Surprised?"

"Impressed, actually."

The compliment sent unexpected warmth through her chest despite her attempts to focus purely on the physical exchange. She pushed harder, determined to earn more of that genuine admiration reflected in his dark eyes.

During one particularly fast exchange, she overextended slightly during a spinning kick, momentum carrying her off balance more than intended. Her foot caught awkwardly against the ground, and for one terrifying second, she felt herself falling backward with nothing to stop the impact.

Cole moved instantly, catching her before she could hit the ground, his arms wrapping securely around her waist to steady her balance. Their momentum carried them close together, her hands instinctively grabbing his shoulders for support as she found herself pressed against his chest, their faces suddenly only inches apart.

Neither of them moved for several long seconds.

His breathing was slightly ragged from exertion, warm against her skin as they remained frozen in that position, his dark eyes locked intensely onto hers. Lina's heart pounded so loudly she was certain he could hear it, could feel it hammering against her ribcage where their bodies remained pressed together.

"Are you okay?" His voice came out lower than usual, rougher somehow.

"I am fine," she managed, though her voice sounded breathless even to her own ears.

Neither of them made any move to step back, the moment stretching longer than it probably should have, tension building between them that had nothing to do with their sparring session anymore. His gaze flickered briefly toward her lips before returning to her eyes, something unspoken passing between them in that charged silence.

The sound of her own heartbeat pounding in her ears finally jolted Lina back to awareness, embarrassment flooding through her system as she realized exactly how close they were standing, how intimately his arms remained wrapped around her waist.

She pulled away abruptly, pushing gently against his chest to create distance between them, her face burning with a combination of exertion and something far more complicated than simple physical exhaustion.

"I should head home," she said quickly, refusing to meet his eyes directly.

"Lina—"

"Same time tomorrow for training?" She was already backing away, grabbing her bag from where she had left it earlier.

Cole watched her retreat with an unreadable expression, though she caught a flash of something that looked remarkably like amusement mixed with disappointment before she turned completely away.

"Sure," he called after her. "Same time tomorrow."

She practically fled from the training grounds, her mind racing with everything that had just happened, her heart still pounding erratically from more than simple exertion. Walking briskly toward home, she pressed her palms against her still flushed cheeks, trying desperately to calm the storm of confused emotions swirling inside her chest.

Maya's earlier teasing echoed uncomfortably in her mind now, words she had vehemently denied suddenly feeling far too accurate for comfort.

She was definitely not developing feelings for Cole.

She kept repeating that thought over and over during her entire walk home, though the memory of his arms around her waist, his intense gaze locked onto hers, made that particular denial increasingly difficult to believe with any real conviction.